Tribble Trouble
by Freaklet
Summary: Star Trek Crossover. Flonne finds something cute and furry in the Stellar Graveyard, but could these creatures be more trouble than they're worth?


-1Flonne held the shivering ball of fur in her cupped hands. She couldn't tell if it was shivering from fright or cold or purring happily. It was a light cream colour, mottled with brown.

She had proposed it originally, the treasure hunt in the stellar graveyard, though she hadn't expected to find anything. Mostly she had just wanted Laharl to get out of the castle for a bit.  
"There's nothing here, Etna." He said it a bored tone of voice, sword slung over his shoulder. "There never is."  
Flonne held the fuzzy creature closer to her chest. She knew what he'd say if she asked to keep it. He'd scoff at her. He would kill it or throw it away or even worse. She had to hide it. She stuffed it down her camisole quickly, where it vibrated quietly.  
"Flonne!" Laharl called. "C'mon, we're leaving!" Flonne strambled over to where Laharl and Etna where waiting, Etna with a sheet of metal in her hand, which she promptly tossed over her shoulder.  
"Told ya, Flonne. Load of junk." Etna put her hands on her hips. "Well, we just wasted an afternoon."

Flonne watched as Laharl and Etna began to bicker about some law he was meant to pass and smiled quietly. "Don't worry," She murmured quietly to her fluff ball. "I'll protect you."  
"Did you say something, Flonne?" Laharl and Etna were giving her strange looks.

Flonne shook her head firmly "Nuh-uh."  
They continued to give her the long stare for a while, until Laharl started walking back to the castle, muttering something about women being crazy.

Flonne hurried into her room and shut the door quietly. Where should she hide her new pet? It had to be somewhere Laharl would never find it…it had to be.

Trouble was, Laharl had taken to raiding his vassal's room, after hearing that Etna kept a diary from a Prinny. Not to mention the Prinnies cleaned her room most mornings and would surely find it. She dreaded to think of what a Prinny might do to her pet.

As she walked around the castle, she realised that Laharl got everywhere and would look everywhere. The Prinnies cleaned everything. She needed somewhere that Laharl would never bother to look and the Prinnies never bothered to clean.

Her aimless feet brought her right in front of the throne. When she was young and her parents had told her stories of fair and wise kings, she always imagined they'd always be sitting on their throne. The truth was that Laharl didn't much. If he wasn't training or passing laws, he was eating or sleeping. That said, no-one else dared sit in the throne either.

She walked around the high, wooden carved back and cast a fearful glance at the door to Laharl's room. She pulled the vibrating furball out her camisole gently, kissed it softly and ushered it under the chair legs.

"You'll be safe there," Flonne whispered. It purred and shuffled into the darkness. "I'll come and see you soon, I promise." She listened intently for its purrs, which had gotten considerably quieter, but at least if was there.  
"Flonne?" Called Etna's voice. Flonne straightened up quickly.

"Oh hi Etna!" She dusted off her knees and backed up to the throne.

"What were you looking at?" Etna tried to peer around her.

"I was er…looking for Taiyaki! Yes, Taiyaki. I love that stuff. Don't you, too, Etna?"  
"Yeah, but Flonne, I wouldn't look under the THRONE. That stuff's probably been on the floor. Go to the shop, they'll have some." Etna gave her a strange look.

"Oh! Er, yes! I forgot! The shop! Yeah…I'll…be going, then." Flonne shuffled off quickly, hoping Etna wouldn't check under the throne.

The rest of the day kept Flonne so busy that it wasn't until after dinnertime that she managed to sneak some food behind the throne. Gently, and slowly, she eased her hand into the sticky darkness until she felt something soft and fluffy walk on to her hand. She grabbed it and pulled it out.

"Huh?" Flonne looked carefully and the small ball of purring fur that was resting peacefully on her hand. It was black. She wetted a finger and rubbed the fur gently, hoping it was dust or dirt, but it wouldn't come off. And as she watched, the cream coloured one shuffled out slowly, followed by two others.

"You have…friends?" Flonne was puzzled. She'd only hid the one under there. "I don't know if I have enough food for you all…" She murmured quietly, tearing the soft bread in her hand into numerous pieces.

"Oooh…" Said a quiet voice in her ear, making her jump. "So THAT's what you were hiding under there, Flonne. Boy, will the Prince be mad…"  
Flonne twisted quickly. "E-etna! Please don't tell anyone! They won't cause any harm!"

Etna folded her arms. "And such CUTE pets too," She said with a smile. "The Prince is going to be SO mad…" She bent over and absent mindedly stroked the black one. "What ARE these things, anyway?"  
"I don't know, I just picked them up in the stellar graveyard. Y-you won't tell Laharl, will you, Etna?"

Etna smiled. "Well, its gonna cost ya…how about… a hundred hell a day?"  
"A Hundred-!?" Flonne spluttered.

"Fifty up front." Etna's grin widened. She held out her hand and waggled her fingers.

Flonne dug about in her purse and pulled out a crumpled 50 hell note. Etna snatched it from her grasp.

"We have a deal, right?" Flonne asked nervously. She got the feeling Etna didn't like her too much.

"Yeah, yeah, sure…if you continue to pay me, that is." Flonne quickly stuffed the purring furballs under the throne and walked back with Etna.

Flonne could trust Etna with her life, but with her secrets, she wasn't so sure…


End file.
